The 2014-2015 NBA Season Thread. Lock It Up Please: The Golden State Warriors Are The Champions

[pmatic]

The worst part about Abbott's article is he went on LA radio yesterday saying he had been gathering info/writing this for the last year. Like, that's all you can get after a year's worth of investigation? And of course he releases it the summer the Lakers "strike out" on LeBron, Melo, Bosh, etc.

 

[MVP]

Put Lebron's personality in Kobe's body, that'd at least guarantee 3 more titles. Or maybe if $tern hadn't hit the veto after Gilbert and Cuban cried like babies, I can all but guarantee this would be a moot point. Abbott is getting crushed though for his misrepresentation and reporting by fellow ESPN compatriots though.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

19 years deep and still the most controversial figure in the league.

Why did the lakers pay him? He keeps them on the front page. It is a business after all

 

[jab step]

The worst part about Abbott's article is he went on LA radio yesterday saying he had been gathering info/writing this for the last year. Like, that's all you can get after a year's worth of investigation?

And of course he releases it the summer the Lakers "strike out" on LeBron, Melo, Bosh, etc.

I've heard he was going to release this last year saying how the Lakers don't want to extend Kobe, but then boom they extended him, so he couldn't release it. What a joke 

. Don't know how accurate that statement is, but I would not be surprised.

I'd love for anyone to try refuting any of the points I made on the previous page regarding the article. 

 

[don ramon]

Put Lebron's personality in Kobe's body, that'd at least guarantee 3 more titles. 

man, what is this?

 

[MVP]

man, what is this?

Well since his personality is why nobody wants to join with him. Wish he could have been more inclusive. But really someone asked how many more titles would he have won if he wasn't so abrasive. And it was a joke response.

 

[Bert.]

How salty must the top players be from the pre-2012 NBA draft.

Once the 2012 class is eligible for extensions. :x

Drummond getting a 100 mill.

hopefully he makes a big jump this year

 

[Bert.]

Put Lebron's personality in Kobe's body, that'd at least guarantee 3 more titles. 

man, what is this?

Hes saying Kobe is a better player but if he was more likeable people would sign with LA

Kobe is kobe. He wants people to work their butt off and he doesnt take BS. i dont blame him, most of you wouldnt like him either if all he wants to do is sit in the gym and worn an expects no less from his teammates.

 

[bonafide101]

Suprised Kawhi and Klay haven't been extended yet.

 

[lynchpin33]

with or without LeBron, preseason or regular season, American Airlines Arena still empty to start the game...

 

[don ramon]

with or without LeBron, preseason or regular season, American Airlines Arena still empty...

bro they're "stuck in traffic"

 

[osh kosh bosh]

BTW, from what I have read he spoke to no one up top in the Lakers management, not even the secondary people. These outside sources could be his ESPN colleagues who may cover the Lakers. Beat writers.

Reporting doens't work that way, if he didn't speak to them directly he wouldn't have wrote it, or the person who did would be credited in the story.

1) Totally disregarded the new CBA and how it hinders the Lakers specifically. I cannot believe he used Paul George not going to the Lakers as a reason for "players don't want to play with Kobe."

The lakers had max room, thats one of the major points in the article, the lakers had max room and no one wanted to go, this is unprecedented in league history and league opinion as reported in the article is that Kobe is a big factor.

is this really so hard to believe?

Paul George not the best example, but he had other ones and his point is the same.

3) Totally disregarded the CP3 debacle and how CP3 wanted to play for the Lakers and Kobe. He even thought about suing. Totally forgot how that debacle caused a chain of reactions that has led the Lakers to where they are. They gambled on Nash (a deal I was for and will not ever get angry about) and they gambled on Dwight. That team unfortunately didn't work out.

and league opinion as reported in the article is they didn't work out in large part because of kobe.

4) Ramon Sessions nonsense was just totally horrible. Absolutely horrible. Sessions opted out hoping for more security in terms of years. The Lakers ended up getting Nash so they no longer wanted Sessions especially with Blake already making around 5 million as a back up. They did not want to spend extra money before that Dwight Howard deal was done that summer. The Lakers weren't even that big on him after his showing in the playoffs. It was the Lakers decision for Sessions not to come back, not Sessions' decision.

again one of the central points of the article is that the players have always been willing to take less/force there way there now it's changed the article states that the opinion of league exectuives, and laker exectuives is Kobe.

5) Running out Dwight, sure that's partly Kobe's fault, but to spin it all on him is ridiculous. Dwight had plenty of faults in that situation. Absolutely plenty. They just didn't mesh, which is not a surprise. They are totally opposite personalities. Bringing in Bynum into this was funny too. Not like Bynum has been a model citizen wherever he's gone. Kobe embraced Bynum and supported him plenty of times.

well the sources don't agree with your perception of those events.

6) Forgot to add, totally disregarded all the players that have great things to say about him, how much he has helped them, and the players that have come to the Lakers to play with him. Also, keep in mind throughout Kobe's career the Lakers never had money to spend on big time free agents other than this past summer.

people are afraid of talking about kobe on the record according to many reporters. Cleavland reporters have said that Lebron doesn't like Kobe but plays nice in public, if lebron wont say bad things about kobe in public why would ramon sessions?

I can go on much longer about how terrible that article was, but you get the jist. He could've made an article talking about Kobe hindering the Lakers in much more accurate way, but it wouldn't have been as juicy, wouldn't have gotten the clicks, and ultimately he wouldn't get this kind of attention.

Dude be mad at the league and the exectives, agents for there opinions don't be mad at Henry Abbot.

I have no idea what bias he would have against kobe, thats just silly.

None of this is suprising, the Van Gundy's have said "nothing in sports is harder than coaching an aging superstar." Be honest with yourself, does it seem like Kobe is someone you would want to deal with if you were an NBA superstar?

 

[osh kosh bosh]

The worst part about Abbott's article is he went on LA radio yesterday saying he had been gathering info/writing this for the last year. Like, that's all you can get after a year's worth of investigation? And of course he releases it the summer the Lakers "strike out" on LeBron, Melo, Bosh, etc.

because what? all your years of experience reporting tells you he didn't get enough?

cmon man.

You have no frame of reference how much he should have gotten, plus he also said that a lot of the time was spent trying to convince people to go on the record.


this whole thing is all very silly, over something 90% of people would have predicted when kobe really hit the decline.

 

[urbetterthenme]

Dude I told yall KB was a pro and con to his team. Who wants to work with rude co worker who cant back up all the stuff they talk? These dudes play basketball for a living. If you hate going to work, don't you try to find another job?

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Dude be mad at the league and the exectives, agents for there opinions don't be mad at Henry Abbot.

I have no idea what bias he would have against kobe, thats just silly.

Well you can be mad at Henry Abbot if his sources are shaky, don't present a good view of the situation, or if he's selective in what he includes and emphasizes. There have been multiple reports about Dwight and the negotiations and Ramon Sessions that detail other sides to the story or straight contradictions to the stuff in the article.

That's not to say Kobe wasn't a reason for the way these things went (especially with Dwight), but not in the way Abbot is trying to portray if you consider all the past reports on the topics. Unless somehow Abbot's sources in this article are supposed to be stronger or more believable than everyone else's.

The overall point of the article is easy to fathom just by following Kobe over the years, but the examples he uses to support/legitimize it are questionable.

 

[jab step]

 

BTW, from what I have read he spoke to no one up top in the Lakers management, not even the secondary people. These outside sources could be his ESPN colleagues who may cover the Lakers. Beat writers.

Reporting doens't work that way, if he didn't speak to them directly he wouldn't have wrote it, or the person who did would be credited in the story.

 

1) Totally disregarded the new CBA and how it hinders the Lakers specifically. I cannot believe he used Paul George not going to the Lakers as a reason for "players don't want to play with Kobe."

The lakers had max room, thats one of the major points in the article, the lakers had max room and no one wanted to go, this is unprecedented in league history and league opinion as reported in the article is that Kobe is a big factor.

is this really so hard to believe?

Paul George not the best example, but he had other ones and his point is the same.

3) Totally disregarded the CP3 debacle and how CP3 wanted to play for the Lakers and Kobe. He even thought about suing. Totally forgot how that debacle caused a chain of reactions that has led the Lakers to where they are. They gambled on Nash (a deal I was for and will not ever get angry about) and they gambled on Dwight. That team unfortunately didn't work out.

and league opinion as reported in the article is they didn't work out in large part because of kobe.

4) Ramon Sessions nonsense was just totally horrible. Absolutely horrible. Sessions opted out hoping for more security in terms of years. The Lakers ended up getting Nash so they no longer wanted Sessions especially with Blake already making around 5 million as a back up. They did not want to spend extra money before that Dwight Howard deal was done that summer. The Lakers weren't even that big on him after his showing in the playoffs. It was the Lakers decision for Sessions not to come back, not Sessions' decision.

again one of the central points of the article is that the players have always been willing to take less/force there way there now it's changed the article states that the opinion of league exectuives, and laker exectuives is Kobe.

5) Running out Dwight, sure that's partly Kobe's fault, but to spin it all on him is ridiculous. Dwight had plenty of faults in that situation. Absolutely plenty. They just didn't mesh, which is not a surprise. They are totally opposite personalities. Bringing in Bynum into this was funny too. Not like Bynum has been a model citizen wherever he's gone. Kobe embraced Bynum and supported him plenty of times.

well the sources don't agree with your perception of those events.
 

6) Forgot to add, totally disregarded all the players that have great things to say about him, how much he has helped them, and the players that have come to the Lakers to play with him. Also, keep in mind throughout Kobe's career the Lakers never had money to spend on big time free agents other than this past summer.

people are afraid of talking about kobe on the record according to many reporters. Cleavland reporters have said that Lebron doesn't like Kobe but plays nice in public, if lebron wont say bad things about kobe in public why would ramon sessions?

I can go on much longer about how terrible that article was, but you get the jist. He could've made an article talking about Kobe hindering the Lakers in much more accurate way, but it wouldn't have been as juicy, wouldn't have gotten the clicks, and ultimately he wouldn't get this kind of attention.

Dude be mad at the league and the exectives, agents for there opinions don't be mad at Henry Abbot.

I have no idea what bias he would have against kobe, thats just silly.

None of this is suprising, the Van Gundy's have said "nothing in sports is harder than coaching an aging superstar." Be honest with yourself, does it seem like Kobe is someone you would want to deal with if you were an NBA superstar?

1) You really think someone from Lakers management Jim Buss, Jeannie Buss, Mitch Kupchak, Glenn Carraro, West, scouts, etc spoke to Henry Abbott? 

. You obviously don't know how the Lakers usually run things to even hint at something like that. Anyway in this day in age where everyone has "sources" everything should be taken with a grain of salt. 

2) The Lakers had max room and no one wanted to go. They targeted two individuals. Lebron and Melo. That's it. I don't even know where the Chris Bosh stuff is coming from? Anyway, it's unprecedented, compared to what really. It's a new CBA. A huge reason Melo considered the Lakers was because of Kobe. But sure glance over that fact.  Why would players take less money/less years? It has very little to do with Kobe. 

Paul George as you said was not a good example, but he had others. Who were the others? Carmelo and Lebron? How are those good points again? I can't type this without laughing come on. 

3) Dwight and Kobe didn't work because of a lot of reasons. Laker beat writers who have more "sources" than all of us regarding the Lakers (and some of them are actually unbiased) have stated plenty of times there were a multitude of reasons for that not working out. Of course Kobe had a part in it. I actually think a big part of Dwight leaving LA was because of Kobe. But to hold that against Kobe is pretty funny because Dwight's character/personality is always under question. Using Dwight as an example ehh it is shaky simply because of his past/how he is currently. There were a lot of reasons for him not wanting to be in LA. He hated the fact that reporters would run to Kobe and leave him sitting in the locker room. He hated how much fans adored Kobe and not him as much. The guy used to keep his car running during Lakers practices to act like he had important places to go after practice. HE KEPT HIS CAR RUNNING DURING PRACTICE. So you can listen to the sources that paints Kobe as a bad guy, but any unbiased person can look at it from all angles. Nothing in life is black and white.

4) Could you show me where Cleveland writers have said Lebron doesn't like Kobe. I wouldn't be surprised. I'd love to read those things etc. But who cares what Ramon Sessions has to say. That's not the point. The point is, the Lakers didn't want Ramon Sessions back, not that Ramon Sessions didn't want to be back. He opted out expecting a longer deal with the Lakers. But don't let facts get in the way here.

You keep harping on sources. I find that really really questionable/funny. In this day in age, everyone has sources. 

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I almost forgot how all of dwight's teammates and coaches were all enamored with him back in orlando. Especially the way they spoke of him after he was gone

 

[hood17]

Papi's parody of the Beats by Dre Commercial.




That new Replay Center I would love to work there.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

1) You really think someone from Lakers management Jim Buss, Jeannie Buss, Mitch Kupchak, Glenn Carraro, West, scouts, etc spoke to Henry Abbott?  . You obviously don't know how the Lakers usually run things to even hint at something like that. Anyway in this day in age where everyone has "sources" everything should be taken with a grain of salt. 

2) The Lakers had max room and no one wanted to go. They targeted two individuals. Lebron and Melo. That's it. I don't even know where the Chris Bosh stuff is coming from? Anyway, it's unprecedented, compared to what really. It's a new CBA. A huge reason Melo considered the Lakers was because of Kobe. But sure glance over that fact.  Why would players take less money/less years? It has very little to do with Kobe. 

Paul George as you said was not a good example, but he had others. Who were the others? Carmelo and Lebron? How are those good points again? I can't type this without laughing come on. 

3) Dwight and Kobe didn't work because of a lot of reasons. Laker beat writers who have more "sources" than all of us regarding the Lakers (and some of them are actually unbiased) have stated plenty of times there were a multitude of reasons for that not working out. Of course Kobe had a part in it. I actually think a big part of Dwight leaving LA was because of Kobe. But to hold that against Kobe is pretty funny because Dwight's character/personality is always under question. Using Dwight as an example ehh it is shaky simply because of his past/how he is currently. There were a lot of reasons for him not wanting to be in LA. He hated the fact that reporters would run to Kobe and leave him sitting in the locker room. He hated how much fans adored Kobe and not him as much. The guy used to keep his car running during Lakers practices to act like he had important places to go after practice. HE KEPT HIS CAR RUNNING DURING PRACTICE. So you can listen to the sources that paints Kobe as a bad guy, but any unbiased person can look at it from all angles. Nothing in life is black and white.

4) Could you show me where Cleveland writers have said Lebron doesn't like Kobe. I wouldn't be surprised. I'd love to read those things etc. But who cares what Ramon Sessions has to say. That's not the point. The point is, the Lakers didn't want Ramon Sessions back, not that Ramon Sessions didn't want to be back. He opted out expecting a longer deal with the Lakers. But don't let facts get in the way here.



You keep harping on sources. I find that really really questionable/funny. In this day in age, everyone has sources. 

1. There are more people in the front office than the owners and the gm,

its reporters job is to have contacts with the organizations. Also It's pretty funny you sa "you don't know how the lakers orginization works" considering that Lakers are one of the leakeir organizations especially since dr buss died.

henry abbot been working at ESPN for a long time he's the editor of their basketball coverage, the idea that no one with in laker orgnization wouldn ever be in contact with him is silly.

2. and the sources disagree with you, the story is ultimately about the league perception, and the perception within the laker organization, don't be mad at henry for reporting it.

3. this bias you keep talking about who is likley to have a bias for against the lakers a local beat reporter, or the NATIONAL editor of espns basketball coverage? stop using bias as a fall back position,


if you think henry abbot is making it up fine, then we don't need to talk about this anymore.


but like I said anyone could have predicted this 5 years ago, kobe is going to be difficult to deal with when he's at the end of his career.

NOTHING henry abbot reported is surprising. or "biased" you can disagree with the perception of the sources but don't do the "omg he o biased" nonesense.

 

[antidope]

What are we even arguing about here? Kobe is one of the primary reasons the Lakers had the success they did in the 2000's and hes also one of the primary reasons the franchise is in disarray now. What else is there to say?

 

[MVP]

It's not factual though blatant parts can be refuted that are the crux of his argument. Funny that many of his contemporaries are shunning him for this article. You can't be serious that reporters don't have bias against and for certain people.

Hell most if these guys were beat writers to start out before they came to ESPN.

 

[lawdog1]

Any games on yet?

 

[hood17]

Any games on yet?

TNT Hou @ Miami

 

[a-friend]

jab step post was better than the article:

And whoever said the Lakers had max cap space to sign anyone as if that should have helped sign a Lebron Bosh or Melo, I just shake my head.

Max cap space is nice, but Kobe's health and age wasn't enticing enough to go all out, so why max it if the Big names weren't in, still next year.

Nice post though jab step

 

[osh kosh bosh]

It's not factual though blatant parts can be refuted that are the crux of his argument. Funny that many of his contemporaries are shunning him for this article. You can't be serious that reporters don't have bias against and for certain people.

Hell most if these guys were beat writers to start out before they came to ESPN.

what expereience does henry abbot have with kobe he's not a print reporter who delt with jobe he was a blogger.

the bias stuff is just a silly cop out. not a real argument, its the refuge of fools.